Dear friends of ours in Pennslvania contacted us wanting a short list of reputable animal organisations to give to at the close of 2010. I have expanded the list I gave to them below, thinking this might be useful for other friends and associates as they plan their final giving.

Okay here it is for my choice picks to donate to this year:

1. Days End Horse Rescue – they are a great organisation and take in horses that were neglected, abused and abnadoned in disasters. They are a local non-profit and also have a number of volunteers including young eople interested in working with horses. www.defhr.org

2. United Animal Nations – I am an Emergency Animal Rescue Service (EARS) volunteer and deployed with UAN this summer in West Virginia for a horse rescue. It was an amazing experience and the best and hardest work I did all year! www.uan.org

EARS Volunteers in West VA

3. Poplar Springs Animal Sanctuary – our local farm animal sanctary in Poolesville MD. Not only do they take in farm animals but they have educational events with kids to teach them about farm animals and their care. www.animalsanctuary.org/

4. Tri State Bird rescue – they did a great deal of work with birds during the Deepwater Horizon event. This is a really specialised area of rescue and they do a tremendous job! www.tristatebird.org/

5. Black Beauty Ranch where three of our most fractious horses from the West Virginia Horse Rescue went to live out their lives. I hope to visit them one day, as they are one of the largest animal sanctuaries in the country. http://blackbeautyranch.org/

6. Animal Farm Foundation – As you know, we bottle fed and fostered 4 pit bull puppies this summer and fall, and three of one litter came to us, while the other five and their surrogate mom went to the Animal Farm Foundation, which specializes in sheltering pit bulls. so they are on our list of picks this year. Thank you for your wonderful work with the rest of our pups siblings! http://www.animalfarmfoundation.org

7. Project R & R – Restitution and Release of Chimpanzees in US Laboratories helps shape policy and relocate primates used in research labs into permanent sanctuaries. http://www.releasechimps.org/

8. The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee is home to a number of elephants which have been relocated and retired from show business, zoos etc. They house a number of elephants on their 2700 acres, and need help in caring for these magnificent, endangered animals. http://www.elephants.com

9. Marine Animal Rescue Service – Our friend Saki is a volunteer for this organisation and they care for marine animals in distress, with a mission to rescue, rehabilitate and release Marine Animals in Southern Florida. http://www.marineanimalrescue.org/

10. Your Own Local Shelters – Please give to your local shelters, whether it is food, toys, bowls, blankets, towels. They are often in need of the necessities and please consider fostering. One animal in foster saves two lives (not including your own).

Locavores

Bethesda Cares and Full Plate Ventures launched Farm to Freezer this summer with support from a diverse network of volunteers, Churches’ donated kitchen space, and businesses. Bethesda Cares’ meals manager who cooks a hot lunch for 40-70 each day uses the